The image of the left was shared on Facebook 21 September 2021. It is one of many Sun front pages churned out ahead of the General Election 2019. It is easy to see why many of us on the left of British politics call the Sun the Scum and avoid it like the plague. However, some Labour MPs dabble with the Sun as they try to win over voters. It was always called something of a working men's paper, though in truth this working class Northern woman knows few if any people who read or even glance at the garbage it shares daily. But take a good look at this particular front page. It promises sunshine all the way in a land of golden opportunity as long as the country returns a Boris Johnson Tory government to parliament. Its alternative vision shows a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour government heralding in a dark new era which includes the lights going out across the U.K. With the sub heading Save Britain it is so wrong it is farcical. It would be hilarious if times were not dire. Currently smaller energy companies across the U.K. are going bust at record speed, energy customers face massive price hikes, supermarkets are running low on stock, and Johnson today received the bum's rush from Joe Biden as he visited the States in person. In the last week Michael Gove was given a whole new title which encompasses "Get Christmas Done" and it is "Secretary of State for of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Minister for Intergovernmental Relations!" The country is currently in such a mess Christmas as most of us know it is under threat. Look how a different Scum front page calls Corbyn's manifesto pledges "bribes" and talks of a "grim vision of Marxist Britain." But such verbal attacks, including calling Corbyn Red Jez worked on some voters. That and a desire to "Get Brexit Done" returned Johnson to office portraying him as some sort of pal called Boris. It will be interesting, though painful for many of us, to see how events pan out. The covid19 crisis has certainly played a part but that is true in all countries. After all it is a pandemic. One big difference between a Johnson and a possible Corbyn led government has been priorities. Even in the throes of a pandemic the Tories have tried to help their friends and donors do well financially out of the crisis. I know which type of government I would prefer, and it is not this Johnson living nightmare we are experiencing. The British electorate was sold a pup! www.indy100.com/news/nhs-testing-programme-talktalk-dido-harding-matt-hancock-9505216 Op-ed:In 2019 the then Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gave a barnstorming speech to conference. Ultimately, it was only words as a General Election in December 2019 reinforced a Tory government with a huge majority and Mr Corbyn was consigned to the dustbin of political history. But Jeremy fights on, though for now as an independent MP. He was told earlier in September that he could address fringe events at this year's conference; he remains a party member though will not be allowed to stand for any office on a Labour ticket. That could of course change. A lot has happened since enough of the British electorate fell for Boris Johnson's catchy slogan, "Get Brexit Done", returning him to 10 Downing Street with a big majority. Covid19, actual Brexit, allegations of Tory Party cronyism and the ongoing threat of the break up of the Union are just a few challenges we are all facing. With a more compassionate government in power we could all sleep more soundly each night. Mr Corbyn quickly accepted his time as Labour leader was over and in time Sir Keir Starmer became the new party leader. Starmer has worked with Corbyn and promised many things on his election trail but it did not take long for Corbyn to be out in the cold. A purge of all things Corbyn seems to be ongoing ahead of conference 2021 as Starmer gets ready to face his first face to face Labour Party conference. Reports that he is writing a 14,000 word essay to give as a speech at conference have been seized on to jeer at Starmer. Those who thought the jeering would end with Corbyn's demise were wrong again. Mr Corbyn faced an unbelievable level of abuse and criticism, not least from some in the party. Johnson's "get brexit done" was a big vote winner in parts of the country, even in some remain areas of the U.K. where people were just so sick and tired of political wranglings. Starmer is a remainer and was a thorn in Corbyn's side though a covert one. Whether he will remain as party leader and, or, win any General Election in the future is debatable. New Labour General Secretary David Evans is expected to win approval at Conference 2021. That may not happen. Jeremy Corbyn was scheduled to speak at the 2019 Labour Party conference Wednesday but after a crazy political day in the UK Tom Watson’s speech was put on hold until conference 2020, Jeremy Corbyn’s speech was brought forward to Tuesday and the conference closed a day early. ‘ The reason for this hasty reshuffle was the Supreme Court’s ruling that when Boris Johnson prorogued parliament he acted unlawfully. The Queen has now been dragged into a mighty political storm and Johnson, just five weeks into his role as Prime Minister of the UK, is facing calls to resign. One man today took full advantage if the situation though, Jeremy Corbyn. Following an introduction by Labour Party member and singer Jermain Jackman Corbyn gave a storming leader’s speech at the Labour Party conference in Brighton. His speech was clear and articulate, he was light hearted at times yet serious, poking fun at himself at times and leading the audience into bursts of #JohnsonOut. Conference finished on a high and parliament will resume tomorrow at 11.30am. The Conservative Party insist their conference will go ahead next week but they are in unchartered waters. Make sure you are registered to vote as a General Election is back on the cards. https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote Chuka Umunna takes major role in The Independent Group of breakaway MPs The former Labour MP's role suggests he will play a major role as The Independent Group tries to increase its profile Sky News reports The text in the image here however indicates Chuka's time in the Labour Party was only a pitstop Opinion - Politics is a funny old game. As Huddersfield-born Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, famously said: “A week is a long time in politics." Lately however an hour has seemed a long time as the latest Labour Party coup against Jeremy Corbyn has gradually unfolded.
This time it is not such an obvious coup with some on the right-wing of the party cutting up their party cards and sharing the fact on social media while certain MPs and councillors have jumped ship but whatever you call it there is a serious attempt to remove Jeremy Corbyn as party leader underway. For those of us in the party we see their game but sadly for voters around the country, those who simply want a better fairer government in place, and soon, confusion must reign. Demonising Jeremy and his supporters is nothing new even though it is destructive and ultimately politically selfish. Our MPs elected on a Labour manifesto openly saying they do not want a Corbyn led Labour government however crosses a red line. While we do not want a series of resignations these people are either part of our electoral ambitions or they are not. If they are not they really do need to move on in every sense and complete as Chuka Umunna would say "their political journey" After more than three years of Chuka acting as if he were some sort of unofficial party leader he has accepted his proper title of The Streatham King and jumped ship. I do wonder what he is doing for his constituents right now though as he trawls TV studio after TV studio. Last night on the BBCs This Week Chuka talked his usual eloquent talk but it was more meaningless drivel. He appears to actually believe that his constituents voted for him personally at the last General Election as he, to quote, "stood on a different manifesto to the Labour Party!" Such arrogance is extreme even for dear Chuck. He is pushing for a second referendum as that is what his constituents in Streatham allegedly want. He conveniently forgets his last election success was helped by enthusiastic Labour Party campaigners who give up their free time to work in effect for the party for nowt! People from around the country not just Streatham. However as far as I know Chuka and his new party, sorry group, of Independent MPs are not the Streatham Party or are they? Friday the Guardian reports "Chuka Umunna, who quit Labour last week to form the breakaway Independent Group, has said he never felt “comfortable” in his old party – and found his mixed cultural and class background were “a chain round my neck”" but what took him so long? Today's blog was going to be about yet more arrogance, though in the shape of Angela Smith but with events ongoing rolling with the day is all we can do. And we should never forget that Chuka Umunna is the group's appointed leader. Angela Smith and revenge? Today Ms Smith is also getting her latest 15 minutes of fame by complaining that her husband is getting a raw deal from some in the Labour Party. "Ex-Labour MP accuses party of forcing husband out of job as councillor Angela Smith, who resigned to join The Independent Group, tells Sky News she believes the party is taking revenge on her." Sadly Angela it is not rocket science nor is it vengeful. As your husband has worked for you previously how can the party trust him? In a way the party is doing him as a favour and preventing him having divided loyalties or feeling under pressure to support you and or the party. With you now part of Labour's opposition, and with earlier reports that one of your group allegedly tried to access Labour Party data, it seems a sensible option to have a new candidate in place for the May local elections. After all he may join you in TIG anytime. Sky News reports "Steve Wilson [Smith's husband] was initially reselected to defend his East Ecclesfield seat last year, but the process is being rerun after complaints that eligible members had been excluded." That sounds the sensible option. As for vengeful, really? What looks vengeful to me Angela is yourself and your group refusing to hold by-elections in their constituencies. Elected as a Labour Party MP she now trawls television and radio news studios doing her best to attack and undermine the Labour Party and therefore those who elected her. The same goes for her other Labour quitters who appear spiteful almost 24/7. It is noticeable that the Tories who joined them are keeping their options open and using this time to bash Labour once again. Don't fall for the headlines but decide for yourself. Related reading: Angela Smith BAME video ‘Good riddance’: Penistone locals have their say on Angela Smith resignation Angela Smith claims she's 'NOT GOING ANYWHERE' as Sky host Burley demands by-election This is a personal view of events concerning the Labour Party this week, with a little personal background to kick this off
(Apologies this will be rather long) Coming from a working class background, our family occupying what was deemed a slum property during my childhood in the 1950s and 1960s, I guess I was always going to be a socialist. My parents were Labour voters though never party members and I followed that trend. There were always some working class Tory voters, even where we lived as kids, most for a variety of reasons including working class snobbery and an “I'm Alright Jack Attitude”. But we kids all played on the same bomb-sites, went to the same old Victorian built schools, tore around the streets playing games, washed in tin baths, if we were lucky, slept in icy cold bedrooms during the winter months and enjoyed the privilege of an outside lavatory. But we were lucky as not far from our streets the tenants in blocks of houses all shared one outside lavatory in a communal yard with one outside tap thrown in to spoil them. So for me once a socialist always a socialist I have voted Labour all my adult life though at times having to pinch my nose and encourage others to vote for "the lesser of the evils", the Labour Party. Retiring a few years ago it seemed sensible to join the Labour Party which I have always supported and put my money where my mouth has always been. It was ahead of the General Election 2015 and Ed Miliband was party leader. I had already been joining in pro-Labour tweet-storms and other social media activity as well as posting supportive blogs so what could possibly go wrong? What went wrong for me was the Labour Party in all its self-proclaimed broad-church splendour People say ignorance is bliss and that is certainly true. GE2015 was lost and Ed was the sacrificial lamb. Ed’s own MPs, many who shy away from leadership or even cabinet positions, like to virtually throw the party leader under any passing bus in defeat and so they chucked Ed as far as they could throw him. Which means it was strange to me that Jeremy was blamed when a majority of people in the U.K. voted to leave the E.U, as my M.P. Alan Johnson ran the Labour campaign. Warning bells went ting-a-ling But I digress I initially supported Andy Burnham for party leader when Ed stepped down. My thoughts were his age compared to Jeremy Corbyn rather than anything else, and I say that as a person aged mid-sixties now. But a new lesson was learned, never judge others by yourself. Jeremy Corbyn has amazing stamina and resilience. I never supported Yvette Cooper or Liz Kendall as both were just too wishy-washy and middle-of-the-road for me. I looked at those standing for Deputy Party Leader and opted for Tom Watson as best of the bunch. Like so many I truly regret that vote. Having followed the leadership race tirelessly I actually missed the new leader announcement as the health of our old rescue dog took a terrible turn for the worse. As the new leader of the Labour Party was announced we sat on our kitchen floor, with our beloved Jessie, while the vet put her to sleep. So it was a tearful day for us but nothing to do with politics. I had vowed to support whichever candidate won and I have been true to my word unlike some. However it has been an easy task to support Jeremy as Jeremy Corbyn is the best thing that has happened to British politics for many decades. He and his political supporters offer real hope for the many not the few and a chance to create a better Britain. Having watched Britain's decline over the decades he remains an inspiration to me and one of the few politicians that could reverse the decay and stop the rot. But it has not been an easy ride for Mr Corbyn or his supporters. From day one there have been accusations, smears, challenges to his leadership and enemies within the party trying their damnedest to remove him and return to the politics of Tony Blair; a man who came to the Labour Party late. For some it is as if there was no Labour Party in existence before Blair took office. So this week another crisis is reached in the Labour Party. This time a huge crisis which kicked off with claims of Antisemitism levelled against Mr Corbyn relating to a comment he made on Facebook in 2012. It is worth noting when he did not rapidly respond to the allegation made by a Labour MP she took to Twitter to ensure maximum coverage and damage. But yes 2012, so why the huge personal urgency now? Why not work with colleagues and address this once and for all? For me timing is always important when we look at allegations and try to decide if they are an opportunistic smear or made with real concerns. At the end of this blog I will share some links to this week’s events but I refuse to dredge it all up again. This is my closure on the affair, cathartic, as we look forward to upcoming elections and begin campaigning. Those safely nestled in Westminster apparently do not give a flying fig about local people standing for election this year. Timing as always matters More sacrificial lambs? There has been a plethora of nasty screenshots from closed member only Labour supporting groups flooding some twitter troll accounts for some time. If there are real and new problems real action would have been taken by now. The ruling bodies of the NEC would have acted and new procedures would already be in place. And the party machinery under outgoing General Secretary Iain McNicol have obviously left a backlog of work for newly appointed Jennie Formby. Are all the issues new and only occurring now under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership? No except possibly for the extent of in-house smears. It is notable that today, Good Friday in the U.K. the boss of Progress Richard Angell has made sure Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters are headline news for all the wrong reasons. As Angell and his side-kick Luke Akehurst have tried to undermine Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters from day one their involvement actually disrespects genuine victims of Antisemitism in my honest opinion. Until I joined the Labour Party I had no idea what Progress or Momentum was but you soon wise up. So here I stand, or rather sit at my P.C typing this blog on Good Friday, the day that Jesus Christ was crucified wondering what next? What next for the smears? What nest for the accusers? What next for Jeremy Corbyn supporters like myself branded a rabble or trots and neo fascists from people within the party and from one Tory M.P. this week Sajid Javid who took the cowards way out and did his accusing in the House of Commons under parliamentary privilege rules. And, what next for me? I commented on social media a short while ago sensing what was coming having observed trolls in action "should I renew my Labour Party membership and why?" I had lots of positive reactions and reasons to stick with it. However as I watch our own MPs, some who were helped back into office by Momentum and Jeremy Corbyn supporting activists in 2017, virtually spit on each and every one of us I wonder why bother? There are many reasons to stay but many more to quit. One main one will be to continue to support Jeremy Corbyn from within as well as outside of the party. But who knows which member will be deemed not fit to grace the party traditionally of the working class at any future date? It could well be me next if someone wants to trawl social media with the software the trolls and the party use to find a reason to remove people; or even if they do not like this blog. Of course the likes of Tony Blair and John Woodcock are allowed to stay party members while actively telling people they cannot vote for Jeremy or even telling them to vote for another party. They can also feed the media negative story after negative story and not be held to account. Seems the software used and the people reporting are very selective. So in case you are wondering:- I am not a racist I am not homophobic I am not Antisemitic I am not sexist I am not abusive I am not a careerist I am not a journo posting click bait to make money I do not yearn for any public office But I am a Jeremy Corbyn supporter? And I am angry All I do is yearn for a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour government with a great team working with him. I ask do other Labour people such as John Mann, Stella Creasy, Tony Blair, John Woodcock, Luke Akehurst, Richard Angell et al want that? I think we all know the answer to that one Will I renew my party membership? The jury is still out on that one and here is why. I have as little in common with Progress, its members, its supporting MPs, its bosses Luke Akehurst and Richard Angell and those on the right of the party as I do with the Tories or even god forbid Ukip. Until I see that change why would I want to throw my hat in the Labour Party ring. But there is a subtle difference this time. If I leave the party my vote goes with me. I will become non-political and enjoy a full-retirement at last. Eileen Kersey Please feel free to comment but note due to spammers and those darn trolls comments need to be approved before they show. The tabloids and the BBC are at it again.
Not content with the egging they received over fake claims that Jeremy Corbyn was passing secrets to a Czechoslovakian spy, they are now trying their hardest to discredit him using the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yuliya, who were hospitalised after encountering the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury two-weeks ago. The theme in the main stream media this time, is that Corbyn, by wanting to err on the side of caution until we have proof that the Russian government administered Novichok to Mr Skripal and his daughter, must mean that he is trying to protect the Russians for some nefarious reason of his own. Most right-thinking people would undoubtedly agree that before our Government went ahead and escalated a cold war with Russia, it might not be a bad idea to check a few facts first, especially as the scientist working on the samples of the poison that were sent to Porton Down, have refused to state categorically that the Novichok was made in Russia. ‘Labour MPs round on Corbyn after he says he does not TRUST security services' evidence that Russia is to blame for spy nerve agent attack’ Screamed the Daily Mail. Of course it mattered not to the Mail that it was totally untrue. What Mr Corbyn said was he fully condemned the attack, and those who had committed such an atrocity on British soil must be found and punished. He simply wanted to wait for the report from the experts at Porton Down to identify the source of the poison before blame was apportioned anywhere. Trial by media did not stop with the gutter press however. On BBC Newsnight March 15, a photo of Jeremy Corbyn was selected to make him look as much like Lenin as possible. His picture was set against a backdrop of Russia’s Red Square. It was obvious to Labour supporters and others that Mr Corbyn was set up to look like a Russian stooge. Accusations of photoshopping Mr Corbyn’s hat were denied by the BBC, but it cannot be doubted that the colouring and the shadows in the photo of the Labour leader and his hat were altered to sit more comfortably with the backdrop. The subliminal message from the BBC was look at Corbyn at home with his Russian mates. There has been indecent haste to brand the leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition in the U.K. a Russian sympathiser and a traitor to the country in which he was born and has served loyally for 35 years as a Labour MP and it’s not difficult to see why the right-wing hacks are behaving like this. After Ben Bradley was forced to apologise for calling Jeremy Corbyn a traitor on social media, the oligarchs who control democracy in the U.K. must have felt a little flutter of alarm. Jeremy Corbyn is a strong and principled man who has promised to sort out the jackals in the press when Labour take office. They only have themselves to blame, however, but, any chance they get to go a little bit James Bond between now and the next election will not be missed. Rosalyn Cullan Please note: By Monday March 19 a standard email was being sent out to those who had complained to the BBC. A copy follows: New member Pam at #Women4Corbyn:- When I was invited to this group, I was asked that I write a bit about trans. I'm not very good at this, better with Q&As as I'm less likely to go off at a tangent so I'm going to keep this mainly about myself, partly to protect others identities, and partly because it's a personal perspective. Trans people are boringly "normal". You may have met trans people without ever knowing so as contrary to popular belief, we don't walk down the road with Trans tattooed on our heads. In fact, we don't use the Trans prefix in everyday life. A Trans Woman is just a woman, a transman, a man. Now, I wont go in to the full mechanics of how we come about. There are others with knowledge of the scientific happenings, and I only know the very basics. But safe to say, the brain is wired a certain way and trans people are born not made. You can't be persuaded to become trans just as you can't be persuaded to put your hand in a fire. The belief that you can is used as the excuse by so-called conversion therapists. Most trans people just wish to get on with their lives, and most actually do when they get into the system (support, medical interventions, other contacts, etc). A few of us campaign for trans equality. We are not fighting to take away anybody else's rights, but just to share in them and not be treated differently. I was a campaigner from the mid 1990s until 2008 and then I retired to get on with my life. I did my own website and took it down when it reached a million hits to the homepage (don't forget, in those days, when the WWW was relatively young, there were only a few million with access rather than the 4-5 billion now). I also set up and ran the http://mermaidsuk.org.uk/ website for the first ten years. Mermaids is an organisations for children and young people with gender Issues, and for their families. I also campaigned along with many others for the First Gender Recognition Act and was one of the first to receive a gender Recognition Certificate and new birth certificate. In 2008, when I retired from campaigning to get on with my life, I was 7 years post-op' and feeling a little tired, so handed over the Mermaids website, and stopped campaigning. But then in 2017, I heard the story in the local press of a young trans girl who had been shot in the face with a BB Gun whilst at school just for being trans. It led to me leaving retirement and coming back to campaigning, albeit mainly online. And one thing I noticed that had changed in the time I was away, was the fact that transphobia had got so much worse and a lot wasn't even based on fact. It was based on faux science and prejudice, and trying to debate with many individuals was like banging ones head against a brick wall. But I was really concerned that many attacks were on children and their families including the outing of children who were stealth at school. This upsets me every time it happens and I will always defend trans children with my last breath. So that's basically where I am now. If you've any questions I'll be happy to try my best to answer, or maybe one of the other people in the group who were born trans will. Rebirth archive Trans Britain MayDay for women describe themselves as an underground resistance, standing up for the rights of women and children. They are allegedly Labour party supporters who feign outrage at the idea that transgender women are allowed the same platform in the Labour Party as people assigned female at birth. Desperate to see misogyny in the most harmless of situations, these people are trying to bring down Corbyn’s Labour by claiming outrage that Labour are planning to allow transgender people onto all women short lists. Emboldened by the onslaught against LGBT people in the right wing press, this sinister and nasty group are trying their best to create a hostile environment for those in the Labour Party who support a person’s right to choose the sex with which they feel most comfortable. This group of seemingly transphobic bigots are trying hard to get their hatred sanctioned by organising mass resignations from the Labour Party in protest at what they see as sullying their gender purity. They are the worst kind of feminists who set the cause for female equality back a hundred years. Owen Jones reported that in today’s Britain, eight in 10 trans young people report self-harm and nearly half have tried to kill themselves. How is a minority so afflicted with transphobia-induced mental distress supposed to feel with this relentless campaign against them? Note that 64% of trans school pupils have been bullied for their gender identity; and 38% of trans people have suffered physical intimidation. True feminism embraces all creeds colours and persuasions, and that includes those souls who wish to identify themselves as female MayDay isnt motivated by sisterly love or women’s rights, they have a thinly veiled agenda which is to score points against the democratically elected leader of the Labour Party, and it doesn’t take a genius to work out who is behind it. Rosalyn Cullan ............................................................................................................ #Women4Corbyn is a transinclusive group of female Labour Party members showing continued support for Jeremy Corbyn as Labour Party leader. Show your support here Many ordinary people struggle to pay their annual council Tax bill. I know we do and we are only in a Band B property. Even so that is £1,143.69 a year. As pensioners that is a huge cost. Under the old rates system we would be paying much less. But Tory PM Margaret Thatcher wanted the rates scrapped. In came the dreadful poll tax, followed by the community charge and our current council tax system. The top rate of council tax locally is £2940.92. That is six tax bands higher than mine. That is a maximum tax and payable on mansions worth millions if there are any locally. There will be some. The rates were not perfect but Thatcher’s argument that they hurt some vulnerable and elderly people was a gimmick. In fact the changes led to wealthier residents getting a financially better and more affordable deal on local taxation And that funding goes toward a range of local services including police and fire. In truth the government should fund such vital services But the following is what is what happens when you go down the road of local taxation being a one fund pays for all. “Plans for 150 more cops for Essex Police - but council tax would increase to pay for it” #Policing #CouncilTax What could and should replace the #CouncilTax when we are in government? #JC4PM #JCEffect Thursday morning thoughts were forced onto the subject of our N.H.S. and in particular G.P. services.
Our practice now takes calls from 8a.m but before you say great it is still a nightmare getting through. You can sit redialling until you are blue in the face getting the engaged tone repeatedly and when you finally get through all appointments have gone. I did not ring until 9a.m today and was offered a late morning appointment today but still all was not well. At my last visit the lovely young female doctor gave me meds and said to come back in a month. The appointment today was offered with a doctor who leaves me rattled. If I am being kind I will describe him as a dead loss. So I said to the receptionist I would prefer to see this other doctor. The tone was brusk to say the least though said through a smiling face. I could tell. I was told she would have to come out of today's appointments on the computer and go into another screen. Oh boo hoo. I tried the friendly approach saying aren't computers a pain at times only to be told "Oh No" said in a condescending manner. I suppose I should have said what I was thinking which was aren't you a pain in the backside but I resisted the temptation. So we sorted an appointment out with the doctor of my choice and it is for a week next Wednesday! Still my choice, in a way. But wait what about the meds which run out today? More smiling briskness before I was told said doctor is not in until Friday so ring back after 2p.m tomorrow. Talk about making a mountain out of nothing and antagonising patients. So the thoughts:- * I worked at a G.P practice as a receptionist for 18 months in the late 1990's and know G.P's tend to set some rules for receptionists. I also know some admin staff are mean, power-crazed and rude. * I put in a complaint to our practice manager some years ago when this same receptionist had crossed the line. She had been rude and more to me and patients even discussed how horrible she was. I came home from work to an answerphone message from my doctor to ring the surgery which I did. But this person was adamant she could not disturb him as surgery had started but that she would get him to ring me after 6p.m. Yes you guessed right she did not. So a complaint to the practice manager did the trick. * I have been with this G.P. practice since the mid 1980s but during that time doctors have come and gone, retired and even died. One receptionist from way back however remains as if sent to challenge us all. * Receptionists often put you on hold to tie up the phone and get some work done. * Ours now also ask why you need an appointment and that is recorded. Is that for statistical purposes or what? * Receptionists have access to at least one other phone line; the number is never disclosed to patients though some may do so to friends and family. * As computer records are now kept why is there any delay re medication? * Training courses for G.P. admin staff always stress how you should smile when speaking on the phone as it comes through. It does but callers can tell when staff are smiling through gritted teeth. * Many G.P. practices are struggling to survive due to the Tory government's treatment of the N.H.S. Junior doctors work at G.P. surgeries on a rotation basis as part of their training. * Ten years or so ago many junior doctors were considering going into G.P. work once qualified. These days it is a poisoned chalice. You are at liberty to put in a complaint re your G.P. but you need to be cautious. You can be removed from a G.P. list with little recourse. If you are older and or have various health issues etc you may find it difficult to get onto a different local doctor's list, especially one that is any good. Me, I mostly have little to complain about re my G.P. practice. However one receptionist ruins the experience for many and that is widely accepted for some reason; if a line is crossed again I will ring the practice manager and that option is always open for you. One other gripe is the doctor who I have no confidence in is actually my named doctor now. I never signed up to this but as the practice grew and staff changes occured it somehow happened. My big worry is that having paid into the system, now retired and with old-age physical challenges on the cards the N.H.S. G.P. system could worsen or even collapse. Sadly all age groups may have much the same worries and experiences FYI http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/latest/getting-past-a-gp-receptionist-can-be-a-challenge http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-complain-if-youre-unhappy-with-your-gp-or-gp-surgery https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jun/20/leak-shows-devastating-impact-of-planned-nhs-cuts-in-london http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/trade-union-slams-brutal-nhs-cuts-and-questions-lack-of-consultation-36063675.html Morning thoughts 😉
Did you watch any of the Alan Bennett airings last weekend on UK TV? We caught some including replays. A couple of things must have implanted on my brain one being Alan Bennett singing They Fuck You Up Your Mum and Dad, from a Philip Larkin verse, to the theme tune of Last of the Summer Wine, which after an unsettled night I woke up singing Tuesday. The mind is very strange or at least mine is. Bennett talked in a documentary about various things including Miss Shepherd the real Lady in the Van. If you have seen the film or read the book you will know that she was from genteel stock but lived a hand to mouth existence. Turns out she was also a Tory supporter. But she had her own views on who should lead the country politically and politics did not always come into it. Tall herself she thought a shorter person did a better job. So she preferred Harold Wilson Labour to Ted Heath Tory but simply on height - yes size matters to some. This moved my ponderings onto a former work colleague at the NHS. This person tried giving me a friendly lecture of sorts in the run up to the 2010 General Election; she was voting Liberal Democrat as Gordon Brown and the Labour Party was ruining this country and she thought I should too. I asked her what she meant by "ruining the country" and went on to ask her why SHE was bothered after she talked a great deal about our banking system. It was post the financial crisis and it seemed the mainstream media and election campaigners had sucked her in. She was adamant. It was hard not to gloat post election after the Lib Dems agreed to form a coalition government with the Tories. She had put her faith in Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and he had let her down miserably. The point is this person lived in social housing, was a single parent, needed income tops from the DWP and had a child claiming Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). EMA was scrapped pretty quickly and this woman felt the pinch pretty sharpish. She learned the hard way that your vote matters and should never be squandered. That woman faced a tough future but who was to blame for that - in the end herself? But it highlights how some ordinary people with plenty to lose and lots to potentially gain vote in weird, wonderful and lunatic ways at times. We can never take election success for granted. The best person for the role of British Prime Minister at this time is Jeremy Corbyn leading a Labour government. Having to convince those who should already know that may still be a sad fact of life. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/15272526/what-impact-has-scrapping-ema-had http://www.npr.org/2015/12/12/459212329/for-15-years-the-real-lady-in-the-van-lived-in-this-playwrights-driveway Shall I start this one with a few facts? Bear with me while this story becomes clear.
One news story that caught our eye Monday related to Tory councillor Lynden Stowe who has made spurious comments about Jeremy Corbyn's popularity with some younger voters. This has resulted in an official complaint from a political opponent of Stowe. The Stroud News and Journal reports: A COMPLAINT over a Conservative councillor’s ‘Hitler Youth’ comments has been submitted by Gloucestershire County Council’s Labour leader. Some of us have been keeping our eyes peeled on social media recently. Post election trolls are trying to sow seeds of division in Labour Party supporting groups. But there are plenty of nasty groups out there with some dubious members and postings. One new Facebook Group that popped up recently was called "Is Jeremy Corbyn a paedophile?" Many people reported the group to Facebook and that may be why subsequently the name of the group was changed to "Jeremy Corbyn is a Dirty Old Man! But it is still active. The group may be closed but if you look at its info you can take a peek at its members. Be quick as once this is posted that may change. That group was started by a Tory and has a fair few Tory councillors in the mix. Last week we spotted Tory Chris Wilford and called him out. He quickly blocked but too late. He then tried a damage limitations approach claiming he had been added to that group without his knowledge. However it clearly said he had joined when we looked. As we looked around last week that group also had one question or maybe more than one for would be members to answer. That entry system has changed when we looked today.
Perhaps that was after we called Mr Wilford out on Twittr and shared a few images? Does he have links to that group or are we once again, as he claimed on social media last week when he tried squirming his way out of the spotlight, merely spinning a story? But when you consider the curious case of Cllr Lynden Stowe and that nasty Facebook group trying to cast aspersions on Mr Corbyn and his campaign in relation to children and younger voters you must surely hear alarm bells ringing? Opinion: Above is the Labour Party election candidate's campaign leaflet here in Hull West and Hessle, Alan Johnson's former constituency. To be precise it is one side of the leaflet as it is stuck to our front room window and just as I was about to pop outside to grab an image of the other side rain began to fall.
It does not matter though as just using the one side illustrates important points. The candidate is a local woman called Emma Hardy who was a teacher locally for ten years. The leaflet gives a little information about Emma and highlights what she will aim for if elected Member of Parliament to represent Hull West and Hessle at Westminster. It is quite clear that if Emma Hardy wins the election on June 8, 2017, she will serve Hull West and Hessle and serve us well. So fancy a look at a Tory campaign leaflet dropping through Hull West and Hessle letterboxes Saturday? Take a look below at two images which show both sides of the Tory election campaign leaflet which arrived in Hull West and Hessle Saturday.. Who is the local candidate? Who knows? To be honest I had no idea whether a Tory was standing here or not. A quick search online for the purpose's of this post revealed; Hull West & Hessle
That search also appears to reveal that Mackay stood in Hull East in 2015 and 2010 but did not win either time. She was a BRexit campaigner in 2016. And for the Tory Party the 2017 General Election will be fought on BRexit and personalities. Presumably Theresa May had a heads up from Donald Trump when she visited Washington recently and they held hands. She also met with press baron Rupert Murdoch when she visited the USA on a separate occasion who will have also offered campaign advice. Then we have David Cameron back out of his self-inflicted absence from politics now that the CPS has announced its findings re allegations of Tory Electoral fraud in 2015. Mrs May has already taken a leaf or two out of Cameron's how to play politics book - get personal. Sir Lynton Crosby awarded a knighthood by David Cameron for services to the Tory party, that is helping them win GE2015, completes the picture. The Tories are opting to tap into strengths and weaknesses real and or perceived of the two party leaders. And in some cases it is working. Me? If you look at the three images shared here and believe the Tories will represent you well you are deluded. The Labour Party is offering real hope and positive changes that will improve the lives of us all because if the Tories are allowed to continue on their merry way with their wrecking ball we will ALL lose. It is not rocket science. Increasing rich poor, old young, well infirm, north south divides will destroy society bit by bit. By the time you realise what is happening it will be too late. And if Theresa May wins June 8 she and or her party will have five full years. Just think about that and the damage they can and will do If you have fell for the lie that Jeremy Corbyn is weak open your eyes. He has shown strength of character throughout his parliamentary career. The man is not for sale. Perhaps that is what they fear? Tuesday evening Mr and Mrs Theresa May appeared on BBC1's One Show. Mrs May's GE2017 campaign has been carefully controlled so far. When she has met real people at work and allowed free questioning she has got more than she bargained for. Amanda reports this re BBC studios Tuesday; "I found out that Theresa May and her hubby were appearing on the One Show and since my journey home involves passing the studio where it is filmed I put on a JC4PM t-shirt in the hope of doing some photobombing. There was no hope of that because the security was way too heavy and only BBC staff were getting anywhere near the studio window that I can normally walk past without incident. I couldn't help being amused to see BBC staff were being herded past the said window, hovering for a bit then going back - I assume to make it look as if the normal number of people were wandering by. It's a shame the cameras were inside the studio filming what looks to be a bland and pointless show because the real entertainment was taking place in the streets surrounding the BBC. Lots of protests - "End Austerity", "Refugees are welcome here!" "Let's make June the end of May!" "Stop the Cull" There were some great costumes, bloody good speakers and singers. Everyone was well behaved and in good spirits. None of this will ever appear on the BBC of course which is a shame. Prize for the most entertaining protestor has to go to an absolutely awesome Boris Johnson impersonator leading a "stop Brexit" demo by singing "Ooh ooh ooh- wanna stay in the EU ooh ooh!..." He was hilarious!" If you are eligible to vote and register to do so by 11.59pm May 22, 2017, you can vote June 8, 2017, for the next government of the UK.
Tuesday Jeremy Corbyn along with key players in the Labour Party kicked of Labour's General Election 2017 campaign. The Tory's unelected leader Theresa May was also out and about but it was a very different game she was playing. Take a look at the images above from Michael Crick a senior Channel 4 news reporter. Perhaps Mrs May and her team are opting for a carefully controlled campaign environment for many reasons including;
He has fiercely chased allegations of Tory electoral fraud. Following the General Election 2015 senior BBC journo Nick Robinson revealed it was a very different scenario at the BBC to Channel 4. The "Mail Online ran a story titled "Cameron threatened to 'close down' the BBC after general election row, claims political editor Nick Robinson"." Theresa May and her team are dictating events. Tonight she and her husband Philip will appear on the One Show on BBC. Monday BBCDP host Jo Coburn was caught on camera smirking at the thought of Jeremy Corbyn and his wife appearing on that show at a later date. http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/latest/nick-robinson-claims-bbc-ran-scared-of-david-cameron https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote http://www.thejeremycorbyneffect.com/jeremycorbyn/corbyn-supporters-even-abused-by-journalist-janan-ganesh |
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